1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to hold down devices, and more particularly to apparatus for securing objects to the ground.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various products have been developed to secure posts, poles, and the like to the ground. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,286,962; 3,317,168; and 4,454,824 show devices that support posts vertically on the ground by means of components that include skewers or augers embedded into the ground. U.S. Pat. No. 4,593,872 discloses a post holding sleeve that is held in a bayonet fashion to a screw that is turned into the ground.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,840,203 shows a base plate and tube for supporting non-vertical posts on the ground. The base plate of the U.S. Pat. No. 3,840,203 is retained to the ground by a pin driven into the ground and hooked into the base plate.
Prior hold down devices are also capable of securing items other than posts and the like to the ground. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,072,286 describes a hoop type clamp retained flat on the ground by a screw or auger. U.S. Pat. No. 3,743,289 shows a skewer used to secure a baseball base in place on the ground.
Although the prior hold-down devices are generally suitable for their intended purposes, they nevertheless possess certain disadvantages. Most of the known hold downs are composed of two or more components that require assembly or other manipulation in order for them to hold a desired object in place. Other devices are designed to secure only specific objects, thereby limiting their usefulness. Consequently, the prior devices are either undesirably expensive to manufacture and complicated to use, or they are unsuitable for the particular purpose at hand.
Thus, a need exists for improvements in products for securing objects to the ground.